Driver booked for writing shopping list

Alana Schetzer

A woman has been caught writing her shopping list whilst driving just one day after three people were killed in separate car crashes in Victoria.

Police booked the woman after she was seen travelling east on Koroit Creek Road at about 8.30am. Police said the 46-year-old woman was driving with her head down and was not watching the road on several occasions. She was fined $388 and lost three demerit points for careless driving.

Meanwhile, police are appealing for witnesses to a fatal car crash in Melbourne's south-east on Sunday that claimed the life of a man.

Police report the man was travelling north on Warrigal Road, Moorabbin, when it veered off course and crashed into a small tree and power pole before flipping onto its side about 7.45am.

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The driver, a 24-year-old Burwood and sole occupant, died at the scene.

He was the first person to die on Victorian roads it what has been described as a "horror' start to the official holiday roadtoll period.

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Two other people died in separate crashes on Sunday; a woman died following a head-on collision between a car and a truck near the north-western Victorian town of Kerang at 4.15pm. The truck burst into flames, causing a grass fire nearby on on the Murray Valley Highway. Just hours later an elderly woman was killed in, Bentleigh East, south-east of Melbourne, which occurred when the car she was in struck a light pole on East Boundary Road about 3.15pm. The driver of the car was taken to The Alfred hospital in a serious but stable condition.

Ambulance Victoria spokesman John Mullen described the accidents as a horror start to the holiday season.

“We're leading up to Christmas – we're not even on to Christmas eve yet and probably within the space of three hours we've had these accidents,” he said.

Premier Ted Baillieu urged Victorians to be extra safe on the roads over the Christmas holidays, in the wake of the deaths, saying safe roads were a responsibility for all Victorians.

‘‘I urge Victorians to take road safety seriously over the next few weeks,’’ Mr Baillieu said today.

‘‘It doesn’t matter if you are late, it will matter if you are in an ambulance or if you are in hospital. I would simply urge all Victorians to slow down, don’t drink and drive, don’t drive when you are tired and if you are with someone who shouldn’t be driving then please don’t let them drive or stop them from driving. Everyone has a responsibility.’’

Police Assistant Commissioner Robert Hill said the three road deaths over the past 24 hours all appeared to be preventable – he said it was a ‘‘horrific’’ start to the holiday season.

‘‘Do not become complacent. Victoria Police will not become complacent, we have more police on our roads than every before,’’ he said.

The deaths take the state's road toll to 274, compared to 281 at this time last year.

The national holiday road toll currently stands at six, including a 79-year-old woman who died in Sydney and a man who died north of Hobart on Sunday.